Such a processing apparatus is known from EP-B-0 736 255 and from EP-B-0 782 823, both in the name of the applicant.
EP-B-1 848 282 discloses another, more complex type of processing apparatus intended for the same functionality as the processing apparatus according to the preamble, in which a drive is applied for jointly driving a plurality of transfer means, and coupling means associated with each transfer means for coupling to the drive.
The transfer units forming part of the processing apparatus according to the preamble are operative in a relatively polluted environment, due to the grease and blood escaping from the poultry that is being processed. This grease and blood may even mingle with water that is applied in or around the processing apparatus, and the grease and blood may partly solidify. All in all the conditions prevailing in the processing apparatus of the preamble are unpredictable and result at times in poor reliability in the transfer of the poultry from a first line to a subsequent second line selected from the group comprising a slaughtering line, an evisceration line, a chilling line, a sorting line and a cutup line. This will even get worse and possibly unacceptable with increasing speed of processing. Current processing speeds are at a level of handling 8000 chickens per hour, but industry is aiming to processing speeds of at least 12,000 chickens per hour and possibly 15,000 chickens per hour. Certainly at these increased processing speeds, the prior art processing apparatus is unsuitable.
According to the invention, this problem is addressed to a great extent if not entirely by the processing line and the transfer means in accordance with one or more of the appended claims.
It is remarked that EP-B-2 687 101 teaches a processing line wherein the circulating support comprises material that is magnetically conductive and that the transfer means are provided with at least one magnet so as to induce eddy currents in the circulating support to counteract relative motion between the transfer means and the circulating support. Obviously the circulating support of EP-B-2 687 101 comprises therefore material that is susceptible to eddy currents. This requires material that supports electrical current and is sensitive to magnetic field variations for the inducement of the eddy currents.